March 24, 2010 - The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products will, over the next several months, open through the Federal Register a series of what it calls dockets to solicit information on a number of issues related to the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. A docket is defined as a collection of documents, often available for public review, that stores information related to rule making or other action.

At present, the Center has established a public docket so that interested parties can ‘share information, research, and ideas on how use of dissolvable tobacco products may impact public health, including such use among children.

OPEN DOCKETS:

NAME: Impact of Dissolvable Tobacco Use on Public Health; Request for Comments

SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is establishing a public docket to provide an opportunity for interested parties to share information, research, and ideas on howuse of dissolvable tobacco products may impact public health, including such use among children. This information will be used to support the work of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which is charged with evaluating this issue.

Previously, on February 1, 2010, FDA Center for Tobacco Products sent letter to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., maker of Camel cigarettes and the smaller Star Scientific Inc. voicing concern over dissolvable smokeless tobacco products that are consumed like breath mints. The Center is concerned that children and adolescents may find dissolvable tobacco products particularly appealing, given the brightly colored packaging, candy-like appearance and easily concealable size of many of these products," Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of the Center for Tobacco Products, told the companies. The FDA in the letters are asking both manufacturers for extensive information on research and marketing practices for the products. Star Scientific and Reynolds have two months to respond. (U.S. FDA - concerned that dissolvable tobacco products could draw in children and teenagers..)

Two U.S. senators (Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Sherrod Brown) have labeled as "tobacco candy" the three dissolvable products being test marketed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. The senators say that the dissolvable products are aimed at getting youths hooked on tobacco and nicotine. They said that some of the products are sold in containers "designed to resemble cell phones." "There is no doubt that smokeless tobacco products are aimed squarely at children," Brown said. "We have a responsibility to protect children from suggestive marketing and dangerous products."(U.S. - snuff out dissolvable smokeless-tobacco products before they can get a toehold..)